Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/88

78 In November 1710 the regiment in which he ſerved was one of thoſe two of Engliſh foot, that were with the marſhal Staremberg at the battle of Villa Vicioſa, the day after general Stanhope, and the troops under his command were taken at Brighuega, where the major being killed, and our author’s behaviour being equal to the occaſion on which he acted, his grace the duke of Argyle confirmed his pretenſions to that vacancy, by giving him the commiſſion of the deceaſed major, immediately on his arrival in Spain. It was this accident which firſt introduced our gallant ſoldier to the acquaintance of that truly noble and excellent perſon, with whoſe protection and patronage he was honoured during the remaining part of his life.

The ambition he had to celebrate his grace’s heroic virtues (at a time when there ſubſiſted a jealouſy between him and the duke of Marlborough, and it was faſhionable by a certain party to traduce him) gave birth to ſome of the beſt of his performances.

What other pieces the major has written in verſe, are, for the moſt part, the unlaboured reſult of friendſhip, or love; and the amuſement of thoſe few ſolitary intervals in a life that ſeldom wanted either ſerious buſineſs, or ſocial pleaſures, of one kind or other, entirely to fill up the circle. They are all publiſhed in one volume, together with a tranſlation of the Life of Miltiades and Cymon, from Cornelius Nepos; the firſt edition was in 1725.

The moſt conſiderable of them are the following,

1. The Muſe’s Choice, or the Progreſs of Wit.

2. On Friendſhip. To Colonel Stanhope. 3. To